Anglicare Australia releases Rental Affordability Snapshot: The rental crisis is worse than ever
30/04/2018
Media release: Anglicare Australia. Federal and state governments are failing the test of providing secure, affordable housing according to to Anglicare’s Rental Affordability Snapshot.
The Snapshot surveyed over 67,000 rental listings across Australia and found that there is a chronic shortage of affordable rentals across Australia.
Highlights from the report include:
- 485 rentals were affordable for a single person on the Disability Support Pension
- 180 rentals were affordable for a single parent with one child on Newstart
- 3 rentals were affordable for a single person on Newstart
- 2 rentals were affordable for a single person in a property or share house on Youth Allowance
- 0 rentals were affordable for a single person on Newstart or Youth Allowance in Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide, Darwin or Perth.
Anglicare Australia Executive Director Kasy Chambers said that the rental crisis is getting worse:
“Making sure everyone has a home should be our first priority. But the reality is that our housing system is failing millions of Australians,” Ms Chambers said.
“Our system is rigged against renters. The tax system is driving up the cost of rent for millions of Australians.
“Almost all of our major cities have become unaffordable for people on low incomes. But this Snapshot also shows that regional areas failing to offer relief.
“There is a huge shortage of secure, affordable rentals. That’s causing record levels of rental stress and even homelessness.
“It doesn’t have to be this way. We are calling for an urgent investment in affordable rentals for people in need. And we need a national plan to make renting fair for a generation of people who might never own their own home.
“We can and must tackle homelessness and rental stress – and ensure that everyone has a place to call home,” Ms Chambers said.
Read Anglicare’s full 2018 Rental Affordability Snapshot here